Naming new gym was no easy task

Editor’s note: This column is being reprinted from April 14, 2004. Maybe Jack didn’t quite have a knack for naming local athletic facilities, but he tried.



What’s in a name?

Anyone who has ever had a hand in naming a baby will assure you that the stakes can get pretty high.

Do you name the new arrival after Mom or Dad? Do you honor a grandparent? Do you try to butter up a rich uncle?

It’s a problem.

So you can imagine Dunkirk’s predicament as it tries to figure out what to name the new gymnasium at the West Jay Community Center.

There’s a pick-the-name contest under way, and the temptation to kick around a few possibilities is irresistible.

My first thought was to pay homage to the Dunkirk Speedcats, but I was quickly reminded that the facility serves all of the West Jay community. Naming the gym after the Speedcats would snub the Redkey Wolves and the Pennville Bulldogs of yore.

You might get into similar problems with names that too closely identify with one particular town, like any variation of Dunkirk’s “Crown City” or “Glass Capital” nicknames.

It would be simpler if one huge donor had paid for the gymnasium, but it was a group effort, with hundreds of local donors taking part.

One possibility is to name the facility in honor of a single individual, someone who has made a real impact in the community and deserves the recognition.

Trouble is, the folks who fit that description tend to be modest and uncomfortable with the notion of having their name tacked onto something. While they may be secretly delighted, they usually squirm when placed in the spotlight.

Almost every person’s name that I’ve heard floated has been followed by someone saying, “Oh, he (or she) would hate that.”

See what I mean? It’s a difficult chore.

Another strategy might be to look to the area’s past.

There’s a monument in Dunkirk to Benjamin Rubrecht, but he’s not exactly a household word. And Rubrecht Gymnasium doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue. (For the record, Rubrecht was a leader in the unionization of the glass industry.)

Twyla Tharp is another notable with West Jay ties; her father farmed and was a car dealer in the area. But it’s hard to imagine a more awkward fit than naming a facility that will be primarily used for basketball after a famous choreographer/dancer.

It all becomes way too complicated.

Maybe we should keep it simple.

Just name it, “Jim.”